03/23/2026
Vanda coerulea 4N 'Blue Moon'. First described in 1847 and native to the Himalayan foothills of northern India, Nepal, and Myanmar, the legendary "blue vanda" has factored prominently in the background of large-flowered vanda hybrids. True blue is a rare color in orchids, but Vanda coerulea produces flowers that range into a deep electric blue.
In southern states, you will often find vandas grown in wooden baskets with no media, with large root masses that hang below. In the northeast, however, many growers will utilize pots with coarse media; this particular plant grown by one of our members is in a clay pot with wine corks! Plants require excellent drainage, as the roots will quickly rot if exposed to soggy media. Strong cattleya-level light is required for growth and blooming, along with fertilizer levels higher than that utilized for most other orchids. While most large-flowered vandas require warm conditions, V. coerulea readily tolerates cooler temperatures given its natural habitat at 2500-4000 foot elevations where night temperatures regularly dip into the 40s.
Over the years a number of cultivars with hybrid genes have masqueraded as Vanda coerulea, but the true species has a number of distinct characteristics. The plants are very compact, with leafspans on the order of 12" or so, and the flowers have notable claw-like lip projections and distinctive 180 degree twisting of the petals. The 'Blue Moon' cultivar is a recent tetraploid selection from Thailand, and produces deeply-colored flowers on vigorous plants. This first-bloom mericlone produced 5 flowers, although mature plants will easily produce over a dozen blooms per inflorescence.
